The Passaic County Prosecutor's Office is investigating the actions of several police officers after a deaf man was wrestled to the ground and pepper-sprayed on a Paterson street Friday.

The incident came to light in a widely circulated video filmed and shared on Facebook by a city resident.

A top police official says the officers demonstrated "great restraint," but social media commenters and an attorney representing the man said the actions of at least one of the officers was "completely inappropriate."

In the video, Raaeseon Adams can be seen walking up to three Paterson police officers on Godwin Avenue as police were tending to a separate, unrelated police matter.

A woman can be seen trying to pull Adams -- who is deaf and speech impaired, according to his attorney Aymen Aboushi -- away from the officers, after someone nearby tells the officers that Adams is deaf.

It was unclear what originally angered Adams or why he approached the officers, but the video shows, as he walks away, Adams growing even more irritated after an officer is seen laughing.

The officers stay put but that changes once Adams appears to throw something in their direction. The video shows one of the officers look down at his feet.

According to a law enforcement source, Adams flicked a cigarette at the cops.

Adams, who wrestles with police as they try to handcuff him, is eventually taken down to the ground by police where one officer can be seen pepper-spraying him and hitting him in the back of the head.

A crowd can be seen gathering as cops struggle with Adams on the sidewalk.

Adams was charged with resisting arrest and is currently being held in the Passaic County jail.

"Based off what I saw, the action of the officer was completely inappropriate," Aboushi said. "It appeared he used excessive force and he was ill-equipped to deal with somebody who has a disability and could not communicate."

In a statement, Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh said he's aware of the video and has communicated with authorities and community leaders.

"I have been in contact with Prosecutor (Camelia) Valdes directly numerous times over the weekend and can assure the public that both she and I take these matters seriously," Sayegh said. "I have also been in touch with numerous community leaders to assure them that an independent agency is investigating the matter."

Valdes said she is not able to comment on the investigation.

Paterson Public Safety Director Jerry Speziale said he could not speak about the investigation because the matter is being handled by the prosecutor's office.

He said there's a second video that was turned over to the prosecutor's office that shows the officers demonstrated "great restraint."

NJ Advance Media has not reviewed that video.

The news organization also reached out to two representatives of the local chapter of the Police Benevolent Association, but they did not return those requests to be interviewed.

"It's unclear why they attacked him and the way that he did," Aboushi said. "He was walking away from the scene. If you look at the video, they're laughing at him and mocking him. I can't tell at this point why they did what they did. It was completely inappropriate."